Myopia in Children vs. Adults

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EyeQue Team

August 8, 2018

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Myopia, more commonly known as nearsightedness, occurs when people are able to see nearby objects clearly, but vision becomes blurred as objects move farther away. Currently, it’s estimated that myopia impacts nearly 3 out of 10 Americans and occurs when the actual eyeball is too long or the cornea is too curved.

Myopia in children has skyrocketed in recent years. Since it is often diagnosed in school-aged children, it is often misidentified as a childhood issue. However, recent research indicates that this condition in adults is on the rise with nearly 10 million American adults considered to be severely myopic.

Myopia in Children

While the exact cause is unknown, research clearly demonstrates that many children inherit myopia from their parents. Generally, it develops in school-age children and continues to progress until age 20 once the eyeball stops growing. Research conducted by the National Institute of Health and clinicians from the USC Eye Institute found that childhood myopia has doubled over the last 50 years. Symptoms include:

Squinting while looking at objects

Having a low attention span

Sitting close to television or computer screen

Complaining of headaches

Myopia in Adults

Research continues to support the finding indicating that individuals spending large amounts of time working on computers or doing other work or activities requiring intense visual focus or up-close work are more likely to develop myopia.

It may also develop in adults as a result of other, significant health issues such as diabetes.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of myopia in adults include:

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